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Thera 1.106: Suhemanta
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(106):Suhemanta Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter I. Single Verses =106. Suhemanta= Reborn in this Buddha-age in the Border country as the son of a wealthy brahmin(priest), he went to hear the Exalted One(Buddha) teach the Path(Dhamma) in the deer park at the town of Sankassa.1 Leaving the world he joined the Monk’s order, and became a reciter of the Three Pitakas,2 becoming in due course possessor of sixfold abhiññā(higher knowledge). Upon that he thought: 'I have won all that a disciple may win. What if I were now to do a service to the monks?' So he lectured to them and solved their difficulties. And one day he addressed them and other intelligent persons concerning himself in this verse: ---- 106 Sataliŋgassa atthassa satalakkhaṇadhārino,|| Ekaŋgadassī dummedho satadassī ca paṇḍito' ti.|| || ---- 106 A hundred tokens show, a hundred marks Betray in which the hidden meaning3 lies. Whosoever has eyes to see but one, a dullard is, Who can discern the hundred, he is wise. ---- Thus the Thera magnified before the Monks his attainment of analytic knowledge that was so excellent. ---- 1 Mentioned by Fa-Hien as a thriving Buddhist centre. The name exists to this day, the village being 45 miles north-east of Kanuj (Legge's Travels of Fa-Hien, 1886). 2 Cf. LXV., n. 2. 3 Attha = ñeyya, Cy. ---- =1.11-6106 Commentary on the stanza of Suhemantatthera= The Stanza starting with sataliṅgassa atthassa constitites that of the venerable Thera Suhemanta. What is the oringin? This one also, having done devoted deeds of good service toward former Buddhas, accumulating meritoriors deeds conducive toward escape from rounds of repeated rebirths in this and that existence, became a forestwanderer at the time of the Blessed One Tissa, ninety two aeons (kappa) ago, from now, and lived in the forest. In order to give him protection (anugghaituṃ), the Blessed One entered the forest, and sat Himself down at the foot of a certain tree in a region near to his. On having seen the Blessed One, he became pious-minded, plucked (ocinitvā) sweet-scented Punnāga flowers and made his reverential offering of them to the Blessed One. On account of that act of merit, he was reborn in the divine world, and having done meritorius deeds now and then, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths among divine and human beings and was reborn as the son of a wealthy brahmin, in a border region (pariyantadesa) when this Buddha arose. His mane was Suhemanta. On having attained the age of intelligence, he approached the Blessed One who was residing at a deer-asylum (vigadāya) in the city of Saṅkassa, listened to the dhamma, aptly gained pious faith, became a monk, got learned in the three piṭakas, placed himself in the path of developing spiritual insight (vipassanā) and became an arahant replete with six sorts of higher-knowledge (abhiññā) and attainment of analytical knowledge (paṭisambhidā). Hence, has it been said in the Apadāna:– “Having penetrated into the dense forest, I lived as a hunter (luddako). On having seen the Punnāga tree blooming with flowers, I thought of the most excellent Awakened One. Having plucked those flowers, which smelt sweet and looked pleasant (subhaṃ), I set up a shrine with them on the sand, and made my offering to Buddha. It was ninetytwo aeons ago that I then made reverential offering specially of flowers. I do not remember any evil existence; this is the fruitful result of my reverential offering to Buddha. Ninety one aeons (kappa) ago, I was a very strong world-king (named) Tamonuda (dispeller of darkness) endowed with seven sorts of gems. My depravity had been burnt. … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out.” Having, however, attained Arahantship, he thought to himself thus:–”Whatever, indeed, ought to be attained as a disciple had bee attained by me; what if I were to make protection now for the monks.” Having thought over in this manner, he lived on advising and teaching congenially (yathārahaṃ) the monks who had approached his presence, cutting off their doubts, teaching them the truth (dhamma), informing them as to how to eliminate bushes and jungles in the path of mental exercise because of his bursting forth (pabhinna) of analytical knowledge and untiring activity (akilāsutāya). Then, one day, in order to inform the eminence (visesa) of widely wise (viññā) individuals to the monks who had come near his persence he spoke a stanza thus:– 106. An unintelligent man sees only a single significance (ekaṅgadassī) while the wiseman sees a hundred of meaning (attha) in its hun- dred kinds of appearance (liṅga) regarding its bearing (dhārino) of a hundred characteristic signs (lakkhana). There, sataliṅgassa means: They go to the sense (attha) of shyness (līna); thus, liṅgāni (genders): manifestations (pavatti) and characteristic signs (nimittāni) of the grammatical word (sadda) in the meanings (atthesu); to this one, there are, however, those hundred, more than one, kinds of appearance (liṅgāni); thus, sataliṅgo (this which has a hundred forms of appearance). Indeed, the word sata here means not one but many; it is not to mean the number in particular (saṅkhyāvisesa) similar to such statements as “sataṃ sahassaṃ (several),” and so on; of that many an appearance (tassa sataliṅgassa). Atthassa means: of circumstance (ñeyya); indeed, the circumstance (ñeyya) is said to be “attha (meaning),” because it is to become like wood for kindling fire (arani) by means of knowledge (ñāna). That meaning (attha) also, though single, is of many an appearance (liṅga), as in such expressions as “Sakko purindado maghavā (divine king)” and paññā, vijjā, medhā, ñāna (wisdom).” By whichever appearance (liṅga) and manifestation (pavatti) of characteristic sign (nimitta) the word inda (indasaddo) turns out to be (pavatto) in the sovereignty of the heavenly abode of thirty three (tāvatiṃsādhipati), not by that, there, such words as sakka and so on, turn out to be (pavatta); then, indeed, by something else. Likewise, such words as vijjā and so on do not occur by means of that cause by which the word paññā occurs in the right view (sammādiṭṭhi). Therefore, has it been said thus:– “Sataliṅgassa atthassa, of the meaning which has a hundred forms of appearance.” Satalakkhanadhārino means:– of the possessor of many a characteristic sign: is characterised (lakkhiyati) by this; there, lakkhanaṃ (characteristic; depending on (paṭicca) one’s own fruitful result (phala) of the meaning (attha) which is going to be (bhāvī) the cause (paccaya); on account of that (tena), indeed, that this one is the cause (kāranaṃ) of this; thus, it is marked (lakkhiyati). That many a splitting up (pabhedo) of but a single meaning (attha) is known (upalabbhati); therefore, he said: “satalakkhanadhārino, of the bearer of a hundred characteristics.” In other words, they are marked; thus, lakkhanāni (marks); because of having been compounded (saṅkhata) and so on of this and that meaning, they are characteristic (visesa) modes (pakāra); they should, however be understood as aimless (avattha) characteristics (visesā) from the point of view of meaning (attheto). They also, however, let know (ñāpenti) and make appearance (liñgenti) such ordinary (sāmañña) characteristics as inpermanence and so on of them; thus, they have been said as “liṅgāni, forms of appearance.” These are its characteristics (ākāra); since, even for a single meaning (attha) more than one could be found; therefore it has been said; “Sataliṅgassa atthassa, satalakkhanadhārino (the bearers (dhārino) of many characteristic marks (lakkhana), of the meaning of many a form of appearance (liṅga). On that account the venerable Commander-in-chief of truth (dhamma) said: “Sabbe dhammā sabbākārena Buddhassa Bhagavato ñāna mukhe āpāthaṃ āgacchanti (all truths (dhamma) come into the focus (āpāthaṃ) at the mouth (mukha) of the knowledge (ñāna) of Buddha, at the mouth (mukha) of the knowledge (ñāna) of Buddha, the Blessed One, in any and every characteristic (ākāra).” Ekaṅgadassī dummedho is to be construed thus:– In the meaning (attha) which in this manner has many a form of appearance (liṅga) and many a characteristic mark (lakkhana), whoever is a seer (dassī) of a single constituent part of a collection (aṅga) there, having seen just a single form of appearance (ekaliṅgamattaṃ) as well as just a single characteristic marks (ekalakkhanamattaṃ) because of his not being widely wise (aputhupaññatā), he adheres (abhinivissa) but to his own view as seen by himself (diṭṭha) saying to himself: “This alone is truth (saccaṃ)” and rejects the other saying: “Any other is vain (moghaṃ);” similar to a blind seer of an elelphant, who has caught hold of one single limb of the animal (ekaṅgagāhī) dummedho (a man of weak wisdom) not knowingly understanding (ajānanato) the characteristic distinctions (pakāravisesa) which but exist (vijjamāna) there, and because of his adherence to his heresy (micchā). Satadassī ca panḍito means:–A wise man, on the other hand, sees in all respects by means of his own eye of wisdom (paññṅā cakkhu) many a characteristic (pakāra) also which are existing there. In other words, whoever sees not only personally, by means of his eye of wisdom, many a (characteristic) being obtained there but also shows and makes them manifest to others as well, he is panḍito (a far-seeing wise man) and is known as a clever man in meaning. In this manner, the Thera made clear expalnation of the prosperity of his own analytical knowledge (paṭisambhidā) which had reached its exalted superiority. The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Suhemanta is complete. ----